2. Director
In the film industry, a film director is a person who directs the making of a film, generally, a film director
guides the technical crew and actors in the completing of the final product. The director has a key role in
choosing the cast members, production design, and the creative aspects of filmmaking as he/she also
gives direction to the cast and crew and creates an overall vision through which a film or media product
eventually becomes finalised. This also means that based on what he/she decides, the final product can
succeed or fail; directors are involved in all steps and phases of the making of a media product and are
responsible for many tasks in all stages of the production (pre-production, production, post-production) as
well as meetings in between the whole crew. During post production directors also work with editors and
other members of the crew to make sure everyone is happy with the final product and sometimes they
also participate in the marketing part of the product.
3. Examples
An example of a film director who had success in the past is Steven Spielberg,
born on the 18 December of 1946, who made a good range of films where the
most known are ET, the Indiana Jones series, Jurassic Park and Poltergeist; has
had an enormous success in the filming industry as now he is also considered as
one of the founding pioneers of the New Hollywood era as well as being viewed as
one of the most popular directors and producers in film history.
An example of a TV director (who also directed in films) instead is Joe Russo who
is well known for directing films such as Captain America: the Winter Soldier and
TV series such as Marvel’s Agent Carter, beside this he also directed into other
series which are as follows: Up All Night, Community, Carpoolers, Lax, Lucky and
Arrested Development.
4. Skills and qualifications needed
There are many pathways to becoming a film director. some film directors started as screenwriters,
cinematographers, film editors or actors, but others directors have attended a film school or course.
Directors usually have a bachelor's degree in a field related to film, as well as significant work experience.
There is no need for a formal qualification in order to become a director, but there are a numerous training
courses which are assessed by the film industry and awarded the Creative Skillset that you can find on
the following website http://creativeskillset.org/search/3433/p4?amp;tags%5B%5D=Film+Production+degrees&tags%5B%5D=&tags%5B%5D=
. Many directors have worked as free runners initially to gain some experience or they worked their way up
from the bottom by initially being editors, then assistant for example, then another job role till they got to
the top (director) or even by being a director in a personal project. The directors’ pathway may also
include making short films, which helps refining vital skills and cultivating a specific film-making style, they
may also make their way up by becoming assistants coordinators and then assistant of producers until
they reach the director role.
5. Locations of job advertisements
There are hardly any job advertisements for directors as in order to become so you need to work your way
up from the bottom of the “crew” and generally job advertisements for crew can be easily found on
newspapers such as TheGuardian where sometimes there is a dedicated section to it in printed
newspapers, though on the actual website there is always a list of jobs available regarding “film industry
and media”. Beside newspapers I found a job advert on the following website
https://www.productionbase.co.uk/film-tv-jobs/editor-director-walthamstow-06.17.0180072.
6. Employment conditions
Film directors have ultimate control over the creative side of a film production. They are responsible for
making a film as powerful, entertaining and effective as possible. Everyone who plays a part in the
production of a film is important, but the film director is (arguably) the most vital member of the team.
They work alongside each and every member of the film production team, from the actors and producers
to the lighting technicians and camera operators, they direct everyone else, asking them to perform
certain tasks or act in a certain way, in order to visualise their creative ideas on the screen.
Some film directors may even write and edit the film scripts which they are responsible for transforming
into fully-fledged film productions as well as using their creative ideas and decision-making skills to
produce effective cinema, directors must also have the ability to lead a team of talented professionals.
7. Employment conditions
Film directors are expected to work for long, irregular and unsociable hours. The nature of film production
means that filming can take place at any time of the day as directors may even be required to work at the
weekend from time to time.
They will also usually find themselves working in a variety of different places, i.e. in studios, offices and
on-set in remote locations that may also be outside their country for specific scenes where you might want
a specific place/building to be shown.
About salary, film directors don’t tend to earn an annual salary, generally they are paid on a film-by-film
basis. How much a director can earn really depends on the type of films that they work on as they can
earn anywhere between £10,000 (for a short film) and upwards of £1,000,000 (for an internationally
successful feature film). But as people become more established as directors, they may start taking a
percentage of what the film earns at the box office, rather than receiving a set fee, this can be a
particularly lucrative way of getting paid, particularly if the film is a box office smash.
8. Employment conditions
There are a number of laws and legislation that film directors have to follow and remember throughout
their work, these include copyright (which includes scripts, art work, songs, sound recordings, film and
broadcasts), films act 1985, human rights 1998, video recordings act 1984 and other indirect rules that are
more ethical and require common sense which are the respect in representation of genders, religion
beliefs and the linguistic used in media products. Other important rules include health and safety in the
working environment when filming as for some scenes there can be dangerous hazards that may harm
the actors or the people around, labour laws and working conditions have to be respected too.
9. Screenwriter
Screenwriters create screenplays for films, they provide the blueprint for the creative input of all plot lines,
dialogue, characters, and situations; the writer also provides the initial story generation and outlines as
well as all script rewrites and polishes.
Screenwriters have to produce highly creative writing, to strict deadlines, they work with a script
development team to create a finished product that is likely to be financed and made, but sometimes
producers bring in an additional Screenwriter to improve certain aspects of the screenplay.
Scriptwriters get involved in writing scripts for many media products such as, sitcoms, television dramas,
radio plays, cartoons, TV adverts, West End musicals, and anything else related to digital publishing.
10. Examples
An example of a screenwriter is Woody Allen who is well recognised for his
screenplay production as in some of his products such as “Don't Drink the Water” he
was the screenwriter as well as the director, he also participated as a screenwriter
(and not only) in a short film such as “Men of Crisis: The Harvey Wallinger Story”.
Another example of a famous screenplay writer is Oliver Stone who directed,
produced and narrated a tv documentary series which is called: ”The Untold History
of the United States” which is "the most ambitious thing” Oliver has ever done.
11. Skills and qualifications needed
A career in screenwriting requires excellent writing skills, and an extensive knowledge of motion picture
production, while technically no formal education is necessary for a screenwriting career, many aspiring
screenwriters choose to earn some sort of related degree. Writing or screenwriting degrees, for instance,
can help refine a screenwriter’s skills, and a film degree can help a screenwriter get a greater
understanding of film production; experience in journalism, advertising copywriting or acting can also help.
To start up, individuals can start writing
scripts, screenplays and ideas and then
trying to sell them to other producers and see
if their ideas are successful, if so they can
quickly build up working experience and
reputation which can lead to the individual
being able to work fully in a proper project.
Screenwriters are also expected to have a
good understanding of criticism and rejection
of their work when it doesn’ t satisfy the
directors.
12. Location of job adverts
Here I found a job advert for a screenwriter
from BBC in this website
(http://careerssearch.bbc.co.uk/jobs/job/lead-
scriptwriter/5106) who is asking for a person
who has had many past experiences in the
development of scripts. However, many script
writers work as freelancers which means
people hire them for a set amount of time
leading to a less dominance of job adverts on
newspaper and websites.
13. Employment conditions
As a scriptwriter there is some money that they make, but there are huge disparities between well known
screenplay writers and normal scriptwriters and the pay can also depend on other key factors which can
include polishes, re-writing scripts and making multiple drafts, but only the most professional or trusted
screenwriters get additional pay for these “refinings” as the people with less experience may be willing to
complete these “extra steps” for free. Many full-time scriptwriters in the UK actually do other jobs to
support their writing. Some work in academia and others undertake freelance copywriting and editorial
projects for other publications. Often, the actual income that scriptwriters earn directly from their writing
can be quite low as to effectively make money screenwriters have to sell their scripts, but there is not
much demand for this, however, screenwriters will usually make a minimum amount of money for each
screenplay that is being sold. If a low budget screenplay is purchased by a Writers Guild signatory, for
instance, the minimum amount that a writer got paid in 2011 was $63,895.
14. Employment conditions
High budget screenplays, on the other hand, sold for a minimum of $119,954. However, screenwriters’
annual salaries can be rather difficult to compute, and this is usually determined by the number and types
of scripts sold each year and only few talented and lucky individuals may be able to sell several
screenplays.
For a screenwriter to write a full script it generally takes about 12 months, but it can vary depending on
how big the project is as well as other factors, but after finishing the first draft the scriptwriters get extra
time to refine and do other drafts, but the time allowed for this is way less than the time given to complete
the first draft (2-8 weeks for polishes).
15. How the job roles link
Firstly, talking about producers, they are the main part of the production office; producers have an overall
control on every aspect of a film's production bringing together other people from the cast such as
screenwriter, director and editor for example. The producer’s role is to turn story ideas made by
scriptwriters into profitable cinematic entertainment and to persuade others to share his or her commercial
and creative vision, this process is closely linked to every other job role in the media industry. They are
also responsible for the day-to-day operations of the producing team, though many practical functions are
delegated to the Line producer and other Associate Producers, producers are also in constant
communication and consultation with the Director as they need to make sure that they meet the brief and
oversee of the overall project which emphasises that the producers also have a close relationship with the
director. Producers also relate to the editors as because they are the founders of the initial idea they want
the final product to succeed so they accompany the editors as well as they want to give them further ideas
and changes or improvements that can be added in the post production process of the media product.
16. How the job roles link
For directors in particular, they synergyse exceptionally well with the producers as they have the highest
control over the crew in general and can help each other in each part of the production process, they both
need to have an overall view of how the final product should be and therefore they closely work together
on what cast and crew to hire as well as getting prepared with the planning and the pre-production where
they both again, can help each other to lighten the work of the other.
About the screenwriter, director and screenwriter may closely working together during the making of the
actual script as because the director is the one who at the end refers back to the script more than anyone
else to direct the plays and the scenes, he wants to know and give advices or improvements on the script
itself; also during the actual directing of the scenes the screenwriter may help the director for possibly
misunderstanding of the script or simply a better guidance on what the screenwriter wanted on specific
scenes.
17. How the job roles link
Director and editor instead have a similar relationship as even in here the director can sit together with the
editor and give tips and advices on how he visioned the final product to be, in some cases with
experienced workers that worked for a decent amount of time, directors trust their editors as they know
what the ideas and tastes of their director are meaning they have more space of choice on how to get the
final product down. These two job sole mainly link in the post production process which is when all the raw
footage gets edited and here even the producer can come in, see and guide a bit on how the product is
being finalized. Specifically about producers, they supervise the editors during the editing process as they
want the final product to be shapes as they wish too and depending on the experience of the editor there
may be less or more supervision.
Screenplay writers and editors may work together during the editing process where the editor needs to
understand the mood and feelings of specific characters in some scenes so that the editing can
emphasise and capitalize on those feelings and key details that the scriptwriter wanted to include.
18. How the job roles link
Finally, screenwriter and producer link together in the making the of the script as the producer needs to
have an overall view of the ending product meaning the script needs to fit the tastes and ideas the
producer wants leading to producer and scriptwriter oftentimes working together to get the plan ready and
customized to best suit everyone’s tastes.
21. In the film industry, editor is responsible for
In the film industry, a editor is responsible for to works closely with the director crafting the daily rushes into a coherent whole.
To ensure that the story flows effortlessly from beginning to end, each shot is carefully chosen and edited into a series of scenes,
which are in turn assembled to create the finished film. Editors select the best takes and edit them together to create scenes. In
some cases, an improvised line or an actor's interpretation of their role may create some on-screen magic that can be developed
into a new and exciting scene. Editing is a hard element to the filming industry but if you have had experience then it's easy.
Each shot has to be perfect so the cameraman and director need to have everyone put into place so when they edit it's easier to
cut at the right moment and to see different point of view shots. As an editor there responsible for recorded raw material into a
finished product that's suitable for broadcasting. The material may include camera footage, dialogue, sound effects, graphics and
special effects. Post-production process and your skills can determine the quality and delivery of the final product to make it the
best it can be. The main responsibilities are cutting the files to put together the sequence of the film and deciding what can be
used. Inputting sound, and synchronising and storing them into files on the computer so the background sound works well and
flows with what's being shown. Sound editors are responsible to find where the music fits where and if music is needed in a
certain part as it may not fit well in that part. It's important for sound editors to have the exact beat on perhaps a running scene
each footstep could change a beat or even if it's just fast pacing music. Editors also edit if it should be slower or faster depending
if it should be longer or faster.
22. What is a producer
The producers makes the final decision on each film producers are the boss so they have the final say to what they want or think
fits well. The producers take care of the crew and cast and where they need to be. The producers tell the crew where they belong
and if they fit well for the role. Producers take care in the pre production because that’s the main responsibility to make sure
everything is correct and in place. During post production, Producers are expected to liaise with the Director and post
production department. The Producer will deal with the finance and distribution companies in planning the marketing and
distribution of the finished film.
Producers also approve locations, studio hire, the final shooting script, production schedule and budget. More time and money
spent in pre-production can reduce time and money wasting when the production gets underway.
24. In the film industry, a producer is responsible for
In the film industry, a producer is responsible to research information about a film or a plan, assess ideas, finished scripts ory
roles. Producers make the big decisions for television shows or movies such as choosing the director and other lead roles for the
film. An executive producer often owns the rights to a book or story idea or secures at least 25 percent of the film's budget.
Executive producers rarely have creative or technical involvement and are often caught up with several projects at once.
Movie producer main job is the person responsible for making sure a high quality movie is produced on time and within budget
the budget is really important and it's one of the key elements for a producer because the producers need to find good cheap
roles such as the planners, ganise shooting schedules. The producer plans what the film is going to be and to plan it by
researching and finding people to play a role the main responsibility producers do is plan and coordinate various aspects of film
production, such as selecting script, coordinating writing, directing and editing, and arranging financing. .
25. Skills and qualifications you need to become a
producer
You need to be able to decide which projects to produce, creating programme ideas, reading scripts,
negotiating with writers to produce new screenplays identifying sources of funding and raising finance
working out what resources are needed, researching locations making sure it’s free to use, pitching to
television broadcasters to commission your programme, planning filming schedules, hiring staff, cast
and crew, managing cash flow, making sure the production stays on schedule and within budget and
lastly working with marketing companies and distributors skills are really important as a producer is a
massive responsibility. You need big qualifications to start producing such as experience in both the
creative and business sides of film or programme making
26. Main skills you need to have
● creativity and vision
● presentation and negotiation skills
● leadership and management ability
● planning and organisational skills
● financial skills and the ability to work to a budget
● To be able to work under pressure
● To work under stress as it’s a very stressful job
● Able to work well with other people
